Are Nicotine Pouches Legal in Japan? ZYN, VELO and the Tobacco-Leaf Rule

By PouchGuide Editorial Team · Published September 25, 2026

It depends on what’s in the pouch. Japan treats nicotine in two very different ways. Tobacco-free nicotine pouches, the kind sold as ZYN, VELO or On! in the US and Europe, fall under Japan’s pharmaceutical law, and none has been licensed for sale. Yet you’ll find nicotine pouches in Japanese convenience stores. Those products are sold under Japan’s tobacco rules instead.

Here’s how that works, and what it means if you’re visiting.

Two laws, two categories

Japan splits nicotine products between two laws:

• The Tobacco Business Act covers manufactured tobacco products made wholly or partly from tobacco leaf. These can be sold in ordinary shops.
• The Pharmaceutical Affairs Act (formally the Act on Securing Quality, Efficacy and Safety of Products Including Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices) covers nicotine products that contain no tobacco leaf. Under this law, a tobacco-free nicotine pouch is treated as a pharmaceutical and needs a pharmaceutical license before it can be sold.

No tobacco-free nicotine pouch has received that license. The Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction’s Japan profile, updated in September 2026, says nicotine pouches aren’t available in Japan because none has been approved. When rumors circulated that Japan might open up the category, the health ministry (MHLW) said there were no discussions about changing the rules.

So in practice, the tobacco-free pouches common in the US and Europe can’t be sold in Japanese shops.

So what’s on the shelves?

Walk into a 7-Eleven, Lawson or NewDays in Japan and you may still see nicotine pouches. According to Tobacco Insider’s September 2026 overview, three brands are sold in Japan:

• ZYN by IQOS (Philip Morris Japan). It expanded across IQOS stores and Lawson outlets in Tokyo from May 11, 2026. It comes in Cool Mint, Spearmint, Apple Mint and Peach, in Low, Medium and (from August 2026) Strong, for 12 products in total. Packs hold 12 pouches and cost about ¥500.
• VELO (BAT), about ¥360 for 15 pouches.
• Nordic Spirit (Japan Tobacco), about ¥500 for 14 pouches.

Retail pouches are sold under the tobacco framework, not the pharmaceutical one. TobaccoIntelligence reports that manufacturers, including BAT with VELO, added tobacco leaf to their Japanese pouches for this reason. That means a pouch with the same brand name in Japan is not necessarily the same product as the tobacco-free version sold in the US or Europe. Check the pack if the distinction matters to you.

If you’re traveling to Japan

• Bringing your own: TobaccoIntelligence reports that personal imports of tobacco-free pouches for your own use have been permitted. Japan limits how much of a pharmaceutical you can bring in without paperwork, so bring a modest personal supply rather than a stockpile, and check Japan Customs’ current rules before you fly.
• Buying locally: the pouches in Japanese convenience stores are legal to buy for adults. Japan’s legal age for tobacco is 20. Strengths and flavors differ from what you may be used to.
• Where to use them: pouches produce no smoke, but many workplaces, venues and transport operators in Japan have strict rules on nicotine and tobacco. When in doubt, ask. Our guide to using pouches at work, in bars and on planes covers general etiquette.

For airline rules and packing tips, see our guide to traveling with nicotine pouches.

How Japan compares

Japan is an unusual middle case. It hasn’t banned pouches outright, like France (see our France guide). It hasn’t closed every route like Australia either (see our Australia guide). Instead, how a product is regulated depends on whether it contains tobacco leaf. Canada has a similar “nicotine as a health product” approach but only allows sale in pharmacies (see our Canada guide).

Bottom line

In Japan, tobacco-free nicotine pouches are classified as pharmaceuticals, and none has been licensed for sale, so they aren’t sold in shops. The pouches you’ll find in Japanese convenience stores, including ZYN by IQOS, VELO and Nordic Spirit, are sold under tobacco rules, and TobaccoIntelligence reports that some brands added tobacco leaf so they could be. Travelers have reportedly been able to bring a personal supply of tobacco-free pouches, but check Japan Customs’ current limits before you go.